August 2007 Issue

Welcome to the Wynns Coonawarra Estate newsletter. In this issue we bring you Jeremy Oliver's glowing reviews for our newly released red wines, you can read why Wynns is using screwcaps, we have some great forthcoming events at the winery and there are a few important dates for your diary.

Wynns New Releases Get The Points With Jeremy Oliver
Wynns Moves To Screwcaps
2007 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow
Dates For Your Diary

Wynns New Releases Get The Points With Jeremy Oliver

Jeremy Oliver, one of Australia's foremost wine writers and presenters, has just published his reviews of the newly released red wines from Wynns Coonawarra Estate, scoring each one very highly! These wines come from two excellent Coonawarra vintages: the Michael Shiraz, John Riddoch Cabernet and Johnson's Block Shiraz Cabernet from 2004; and the Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon from 2005.

2004 saw an ideal growing season with cool and dry weather promoting slow ripening. Despite being a late vintage, conditions were near perfect for producing very high quality fruit. 2005 was similarly near perfect with the lack of rain producing fruit that showed intensity with restraint, providing the chance to make classic varietal wines with rich flavours and generous tannins. It was an early ripening year and slightly warmer than average, characterised by darker fruit flavours, whereas the 2004 vintage shows more of the red fruit spectrum.

Jeremy Oliver’s reviews are as follows:

2005 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2005 release is an exemplary Coonawarra Cabernet, produced from only the top 25% of Cabernet fruit available from the Estate.

"A fine, elegant Coonawarra cabernet whose ripe, floral perfume of cassis, blackberries, dark chocolate and cedar/vanilla oak has a faint confiture like aspect. Fully ripened but smooth and supple, its long, fleshy and spotlessly presented palate of vibrant small black berries, mulberries and plums knits tightly with vanilla/cedar oak, Full to medium in weight, framed by firm, pliant tannins, it's a wine of style and structure." 95/100, drink 2017-2025+ (Jeremy Oliver, 8 May 2007)

2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Johnson's Block Shiraz Cabernet
Sourced from a historically significant vineyard in the heart of the Terra Rossa, this wine is a superb example of traditional Coonawarra style from an exceptionally good vintage.

"A very stylish, modern and restrained young wine whose intense but rather closed and brooding fruit is simply waiting to explode. Despite the fact that its varietal components have yet to marry, it opens with a pristine, slightly minty perfume of cherries, blackberries and cassis over cedar/chocolate oak. It's long, smooth and supple, presenting a vibrant, juicy expression of clear, bright and sour edged small fruit flavours backed by gamey oak and framed by crunchy fine tannins. It finishes with length and refreshing acidity. I might actually have marked this too hard." 94/100, drink 2016-2024 (Jeremy Oliver, 5 April 2007)

2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz
This wine is the Estate's best-of-vintage Shiraz, sourced from the top 1% of available fruit, and only made in exceptional vintage years.

"A superbly measured, beautifully integrated and stylish shiraz steeped in intense and perfectly focused fruit. Delicate, ethereal and musky, its dusty and peppery bouquet of spicy small black and red berries is tightly knit with fine grained cedar/vanilla oak. There's a meaty varietal quality about its exceptionally long palate of intense sweet berry and plum fruit, which is framed by a firm but pliant spine of polished tannin. It builds weight and power along the palate, finishing with wonderful restraint and savoury qualities." 96/100, drink 2016-2024+ (Jeremy Oliver, 5 April 2007)

2004 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
Like the Michael Shiraz, the John Riddoch Cabernet is the best-of-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon, and is widely regarded as the definitive Coonawarra Cabernet.

"A traditional Coonawarra classic. Its heady perfume of fresh cassis, violets, mulberries and cedar/vanilla oak reveals a suggestion of undergrowth. Smooth, polished and seamless, its supremely elegant and deeply layered palate of pristine small berry flavour and tightly knit oak builds on the palate, in harmony with its effortlessly restrained but finely crafted undercarriage of fine, powdery tannin. Beneath its fruit lies some slightly minty and dusty herbal varietal cabernet complexity. Superb focus and balance; set for the long term." 96/100, drink 2016-2024 (Jeremy Oliver, 5 April 2007)

Naturally we are very proud of these wines, and of Jeremy's glowing reviews, and feel them to be a true expression of the style and character of Wynns Coonawarra Estate. All of the wines are available nationally from good wine retailers.

Wynns Moves To Screwcaps

Wynns Coonawarra Estate will now seal all of its wines, with the exception of the 2005 Black Label Cabernet, with screwcap closures. The 2006 vintage of Black Label Cabernet will be sealed with a screwcap when it is released in June 2008.

The screwcap closure provides a perfect, inert seal that means every bottle of wine tastes exactly as the winemaker intended. Using a screwcap closure removes all possibility of a wine being affected by cork-related faults, including cork taint or random oxidation. Furthermore, extensive research has shown screwcaps do in fact have a positive impact on the long term aging of wines and provide a viable alternative to cork.

Wynns Chief Winemaker, Sue Hodder, is a keen supporter of a range of closures and believes we are better placed than ever to make the choice. Sue and the Wynns Winemaking team will continue to assess all the options available and as research into alternative closures is ongoing, Wynns will monitor the results with keen interest.

2007 Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow

If you can't come to Coonawarra, Coonawarra is coming to you!

For the fifth consecutive year, the famous Coonawarra wineries under the banner of the Coonawarra Vignerons Association will showcase their wares at this very popular and prestigious event. With over 19 Coonawarra wineries represented, visitors will have the opportunity to taste the wines and meet the winemakers and owners behind these famous brands.

The Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow will tour Australia with the majority of the wineries visiting the major cities. Wynns Coonawarra Estate will be present at all events, so come along and try our new vintage releases and talk to our winemakers. The two remaining dates are:

Adelaide, 3 September 2007, 5.30pm to 8.30pm
Stamford Plaza, The Boulevard Room
150 North Terrace, Adelaide

Perth, 5 September 2007, 5.30pm to 8.30pm

Perth Town Hall
Corner Barrack and Hay Streets, Perth

The cost for each Roadshow is $25 per person and you can either pay cash at the door, contact the Coonawarra Vignerons Association on (08) 8737 2392, or visit www.coonawarra.org to download a pre-purchase booking sheet.

Dates For Your Diary

The fantastic Coonawarra Cabernet Celebrations will be held from the 19th to 21st October 2007. The region will be abuzz with live music, Master Classes, exclusive dinners and the chance to sample great local wines and produce. The events will culminate with the eleventh annual barrel auction of the most outstanding examples of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wynns Coonawarra Estate will be hosting these three exciting events during the celebrations:

Coonawarra Cabernet Masterclass
Coonawarra and Margaret River — An Expression of Cabernet Sauvignon

This is an opportunity to explore, taste and celebrate the leading Cabernet Sauvignons from both Coonawarra and Margaret River. Join a respected panel of wine journalists and winemakers and savour 12 of the finest Cabernet Sauvignons from these two great regions from six outstanding vintages selected from the last 20 years.

Date: Saturday 20 October
Time: 10am to 12 noon
Location: Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Memorial Drive, Coonawarra

Cost: $150 per person
Bookings: Essential

Bookings for the Masterclass are essential as places are limited. Bookings open at 9am Tuesday, 11th September 2007 and can be purchased by phoning 08 8737 2392.

Jazz at the Gables
Enjoy the very cool grooves of (etypejazz), one of Australia's hottest contemporary jazz bands who will be performing on the lawns of the historic Wynns Coonawarra Estate Winery.

While you listen to the smooth sounds you can sample premium Wynns wines and home style Yiros — choose from peppered beef, marinated chicken, falafel and goat, all served with fresh salad, tzatziki and pita bread.

Date: Saturday 20 October 2007
Time: 12pm to 5pm
Location: Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Memorial Drive, Coonawarra

Food: $12 per Yiros
Wine: $6 per glass
Bookings: Not required

Barrel Cellar Dinner
Come and enjoy a unique dining experience in the historic Wynns Coonawarra Estate Barrel Cellar. A sumptuous four course menu will be served with specially selected Wynns current vintage and Museum Release wines.

Date: Saturday 20 October 2007
Time: 7pm
Location: Wynns Coonawarra Estate Barrel Cellar, Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Memorial Drive, Coonawarra

Cost: $120 per person
Bookings: Essential, contact Anne MacPherson at the Cellar Door on 08 8736 2226

For more information on these events please download the brochure: www.wynns.com.au/news/CabernetWeekend07.pdf

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cellar Door
Phone: 08 8736 2226

We welcome your feedback. We contacted you because you registered at the Wynns website. If you have a question or comment about the newsletter please Contact Us.

If you don't want to receive these updates in the future click here to Unsubscribe. If you have been forwarded this newsletter and would like to receive it in the future, please click here to Subscribe.